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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Create your own Drink Coasters

Want a cute way to keep drinks from leaving ugly rings on your furniture? Need a quick but thoughtful and handmade gift? Coasters can be pricey at the big box or specialty stores, especially if you are only going to use them for a short time. Instead, make your own coasters. This is a great project to involve your children in.
I've used different materials for coasters. Fabric, wine corks, etc. For this project we'll be using contact paper. Contact paper comes on a roll with an adhesive backing. It has a plastic texture that works well to resist moisture from glasses, and you can also easily cut it to fit the shape of coasters.

Let's begin...

I had a few 4x4 square pieces of wood laying around, so I decided to use it. You can buy some at a craft store for less than $10.00 dollars. You can get as creative as you want! Use stickers, draw something, keep it simple and paint them different colors. It's up to you! I used pictures.

Add the images to the poster board squares.
Cut a square of clear contact paper larger than the coaster. Peel off the backing to reveal the sticky side. Place the contact paper on a flat surface with the sticky side up.
Center the coaster on the sticky side of the contact paper. Press it down to create a smooth finish.
Cut another square of contact paper and peel off the backing. Press it on top to sandwich the poster board coaster between the two pieces of contact paper.
Smooth both sides of the contact paper to remove any bubbles. Trim the excess contact paper, leaving a small border to keep the coasters encased.
Repeat steps until you're done with your set.

The (almost) step by step picture should give you an idea, but don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Happy Crafting!